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Ask Kate McCoy, M.Ed, NBCC, LPC Your Own ...

Kate McCoy, M.Ed, NBCC, LPC, Therapist

Category: Mental Health

Satisfied Customers: 5632

Experience: Over 20 years experience specializing in anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol, and relationship issues.

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Kate McCoy, M.Ed, NBCC, LPC is online now

I have recently been prescribed an SSRI for depression - after

Resolved Question:

I have recently been prescribed an SSRI for depression - after a month I began to feel euphoric, energetic, distracted and hypersexual. I felt like singing and dancing all the time. About six weeks later, my mood absolutely crashed (in response to some stress) and within weeks I was back to feeling suicidal. My GP has increased my dose of the SSRI. Is this normal?

It is very common when you are on medications to alter the dose. When someone is diagnosed with a disorder, they can have difficulty finding the right medication that works. Medication effectiveness depends very much on the person's body chemistry. So for example, XYZ medication may work great for one person and cause an adverse reaction in another. So when trying to find medication to help your symptoms, it can take time to find the right one them adjust it so the person responds to the medication with reduced symptoms.

From your description of your symptoms, it sounds like you might have Bipolar disorder. Have you been evaluated for Bipolar? If not, you may need to see someone who can do a mental health evaluation to determine if you do have this disorder. Doctors are great at prescribing medication, but they do not do mental health evaluations. Someone in the field is better equipped to help you find out what you may have and offer you the treatments available to help.

Is it possible to "get" bipolar disorder in your thirties?My doctor thinks that euphoria is a normal side effect of SSRIs - but I didn't feel normal when I was "high" (although it did feel good!). Is euphoria (over an extended period) a normal side effect?Is it possible that an SSRI can make someone bipolar?

You can develop Bipolar in your thirties. It is more common with women than men.

Euphoria can be a side effect of SSRI's. But when you described the euphoria you felt, it sounded more like Bipolar, in my experience.

An SSRI cannot make you Bipolar. No medication can cause you to develop a disorder. Illegal drugs can cause mental health issues, but not prescribed drugs. The symptoms can make you feel odd and cause side effects, but once you go off them, you will feel better.

The best option is to get screened by a mental health professional to be sure. That way, you can be positive that you are receiving the right treatment for your symptoms. And you may need to consider changing you medications to another class of drugs if you find that the SSRI's are causing your symptoms.

I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.

What Customers are Saying:

I can go as far as to say it could have resulted in saving my sons life and our entire family now knows what bipolar is and how to assist and understand my most wonderful son, brother and friend to all who loves him dearly.
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I can go as far as to say it could have resulted in saving my sons life and our entire family now knows what bipolar is and how to assist and understand my most wonderful son, brother and friend to all who loves him dearly.
Thank you very muchCorrie MollPretoria, South Africa

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Over 20 years experience specializing in anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol, and relationship issues.

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